Drop a Bell Down the Stairs
by CaideSin
Summary: Trials by Fire make for broken boys. [AU][TimKon][Slash]
1. Summer

Summer

_**Friday**_

Brambling wasn't anything like Robin.

Robin was all bright colors and smiles, the counterpart to the grim crusader, The Batman.

Brambling was covered head to foot in black, with brown stripes on his sides to make him visible to his partners. He was the counterbalance to the more jovial vigilante, Nightwing.

As they were, Robin and Brambling worked well together. Their mentors were opposites, of a sort, and their skills and demeanors complimented one another.

"Hey, Birdy!" Jason crowed as they jumped over the rooftops of San Francisco. Nightwing had dropped them at city limit, and then gone to keep an appointment of his own. "Are you excited about joining up with the Titans?"

Nightwing and Batman had agreed on the decision. It wasn't Bruce's to make, but for some reason, Dick had felt he needed his old mentor's nod of approval. Some things would never change.

Brambling glanced at him; there wasn't even so much as a glare off of his whiteout lenses.

"It will be good for building my capacity to work in a team," Brambling answered.

"Come on!" Jason groaned, he swung around without warning and crashed into the smaller hero. "The Titans are going to put up with that kind of shit."

"Noted," Brambling murmured.

They were only a few blocks from the Tower when a pair of flyers came out to hail them.

"Right on time, batboys!" Kon smiled as he swooped down and lifted Jason into the air. Wondergirl had been prepared to get the other boy, but she couldn't spot him.

"Jesus! Get out here!" Jason barked. His patience sometimes wore thin with Nightwing's partner. The little black clad figure immerged from where it had been lurking on a fire escape. He reattached the deer antler knife, disguised as a B, to the front of his chest plate. Cassie tentatively picked him up and they flew the rest of the way to the Tower.

Brambling hadn't expected to get a welcoming party. He had expected this to be very professional. He really should have known better. Dick would have arranged this because he hated when things got too stuffy, even, _especially_, when he wasn't around.

"Welcome to the team, kiddo." Cyborg.

"It is wonderful to be working with you at last." Starfire.

"Man, I am gonna love having a new person to try my acts on!" Beast Boy.

"Heyareyouaboyoragirl?" Kid Flash.

"You're kind of quiet, aren't you?" Superboy.

"I don't think he can breath with all of you crowding in on him." Wondergirl.

"That'saguy?" Kid Flash, again.

"I'll show you to your room." Raven: nominee for sainthood.

The empathic pulled him away from the noisy crowd of future teammates. Robin was smirking something terrible. Brambling considered shooting him a dirty look, but came to the conclusion that it wasn't worth the effort.

As Raven led him through the Tower she pointed out the essential areas: kitchen, TV room, training hall, pool, meeting room, quarters, etcetera.

They got to his room and…Superboy and a green goose were floating outside the window.

"I did what I could," Raven said and she was…she was smiling.

_**Monday**_

They shared an apartment. Dick had gotten comments about that from Roy and the like, but he didn't really care. So, he shared an apartment with his little brother, big deal. They were rarely actually in the apartment anyway. Tim went to school during the day and Dick was off being a policeman. They had an actual sit-down dinner together about once a week and that was it.

They didn't even leave for patrol at the same time. Tim got into the Brambling costume and headed out at the tail end of seven. Dick joined him at a quarter to ten.

Brambling spun around, his heel crashing into the thug's head. The man went flying. The heady scent of June heat wasn't enough to cover up the metallic tang of blood and _odeur d'alleyway_.

"It wasn't that bad."

"It was."

"It's good for you."

"I know."

"Cheer up?"

"Never."

Dick smiled and jumped into the fray. "You don't think you'll make friends with any of them?" he wondered with deceptive nonchalance. He hit a man over the head with his own blackjack.

"That isn't the point," Brambling huffed, jumped and landed on a dumpster to avoid a taser.

"Yes it is, teamwork and friendship can totally go hand in hand," Nightwing pointed out. He zip-stripped the last guy.

"Yeah, sure I can see it now. Me, hand in hand, with Superboy as we skip through a field of flowers with our 'pride' shirts on," Tim grabbed a bit of garbage from the dumpster he was sitting on and lobbed it at Dick's head.

"Drama queen," Nightwing snorted, then shot his grapple.

"At least I'm not a drag queen," Brambling muttered into his ear.

"Haha, very funny," Dick answered dryly.

Nightwing liked to banter. It was part of what made him so endearing, to everyone else in the world but his own partner. Brambling had his own reasons for sticking around though. He had his own reasons for humoring Nightwing's need for repartee.

They swung from rooftop to rooftop, in communication almost constantly. They talked about everything from the bank heist on the corner to the stupid boxers Kid Flash had come streaking out in, at midnight.

At half-past one Dick paused,

"Did Robin say anything?"

"About?"

"Anything."

Tim was three streets up. Dick heard him moving. Then Tim was five streets up.

"No."

"Batman called."

"I'm turning in. Brambling out."

The line clicked and then there was nothing but deafening silence.

_**Tuesday**_

Tim had only gotten half an hour of unintentional sleep before he woke up from a dream. He'd fallen from thousands of feet up, into a pile of corpses, the bones piercing him. Needless to say, he was awake the rest of the night.

He obtained himself a great steaming mug of coffee at breakfast, standard fare at this point in his life.

"Homework?" Dick asked around a granola bar that he'd shoved in his mouth as he hopped around on one foot to get his shoe on.

"Did it." Tim replied. He took another sip of coffee and continued to read the newspaper.

"Tests?"

"None."

"Plans for this week?"

"None."

"Kory is coming over for dinner tomorrow."

"I know."

"Bruce called."

"Your ride is here."

Dick had to run out the door when the carpool pulled up.

Tim had a few friend-like objects. They were a little band of misfits that he sometimes brought home for dinner, to appease the mighty God, Richard Grayson.

Before he'd come to Blüdhaven, he'd hung out with the guys he gamed with. Now it was just whoever was willing to stand him. That was where Kyle and Johnny stepped in.

Tim walked two blocks to the bus stop. Kyle was applying mascara. The polish on his long nails glittered under the heavy sunlight. Johnny had his iPod and began to sing for Tim as he approached.

"_You're not shy! You get around! You wanna fly! Don't want your feet on the ground! You stay up, you won't come down, you wanna live, you wanna move to the sound. GOT FIRE in your veins!_"

Kyle rolled his eyes as Johnny began to do pelvic thrusts inbetween gyrations of his hips.

"Timmy," Kyle simpered and patted the seat on the bench beside him. He folded his hands neatly in his lap, covering his purse. Johnny danced around them, first his butt was in Tim's face, and then the red 'S' shield on his black sweater. The bus pulled up and the kids already aboard were smirking.

"Hey, faggots," they cheered. Johnny flicked them off as he continued to sing.

"_You say it's urgent! It's so urgent! So oh-oh urgent-urgent-urgent! Just you wait and see, how urgeeeent our loooove can be. It's urgent!_"

Someone tried to trip Kyle, so Tim kicked their shin, hard. He wore motorcycle boots all the time, and the kid hissed in pain. Kyle batted his eyelashes at Tim as they sat down.

Tim got the window seat after being such a gallant hero. Kyle produced a little red copy of _The Picture of Dorian Gray_ from his purse and began to read. Johnny kept singing in the seat behind them. Tim was content to stare out the window.

"Timmy," Kyle called when it was time to get off the bus. He offered up his delicate hand. Tim took it and rose.

"Movie tonight, guys?" Johnny wondered as he stuffed his iPod into the pouch of his sweater.

"Nnn," Tim answered without commitment.

"Come on," Johnny insisted. "My sister has been taping these movies on the Biography channel."

"Why would we find that interesting?" Kyle inquired with an exaggerated sigh.

"Well it's about this little fat Belgian guy…Dude. Solves mysteries. Mystery for me and Tim, poofters for you." Johnny was grinning, even after Kyle hit him with his purse.

"There are no homosexuals in Poirot!" Kyle puffed.

"I'll have to call Dick," Tim noted.

"Right, poofters for you too."

"Shut up, Johnny."

_**Wednesday**_

Kory had never been capable of a subtle entrance. Landing in a stream of orange boob-tastic-ness probably seemed perfectly normal to her, she even put on civvies, but the neighbors still talked.

Tim answered the door because Dick wasn't even home yet. He was still out playing average-everyday-working-hero.

"Hello," Koriand'r smiled at him, the edges of her eyes crinkled with delight. "Dick is not yet here?"

"No, sorry, Kory," the kid answered.

"How has he been?"

Tim resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Some things would never change. "He's been great. Not too much trouble at the station."

"I am glad," she said. "You require assistance in the kitchen? I can smell something…"

"I got it, just sit down and be comfortable."

She chuckled to herself and obeyed. As they waited for Dick, Tim reflected on the dysfunctionality of this—his—family. He had two older brothers, both of who sidelined as superheroes. He lived with his oldest brother, who, in actuality, was more like his father-slash-mentor. Who, by the way, was in the midst of a cold war with his own father-slash-mentor. Bruce hated the very idea of Brambling, but everyone generally ignored him because they, Bruce included, like Tim. Then he got back to Kory. Who was an alien princess-slash-superheroine. Who was also his father-slash-brother-slash-mentor's ex-girlfriend.

Meanwhile, none of these people were Tim's actual family and he cringed away from that thought and focused on the fact that the oven was at two hundred-fifty degrees Celsius.

The door to the apartment opened, the hinges squeaked. Tim made a mental note to oil them.

"Hey, Kory, sorry I'm late. Tim you got dinner started?"

Tim saw no need to reply. Of course he had dinner started.

Dick and Kory set the table together, talking and smiling. Tim saw the whole thing as a critical flaw on Dick's part. They were so good for each other, but it would never happen because Dick was a flake. The corner of Tim's lips curved upwards. Dick's dysfunctional relationship with the alien was normal in comparison to the train wreck that was Tim.

"What are you laughing about, kid?" Dick asked.

Tim told him, and Dick didn't think it was funny. He never did. He looked sad and then ruffled Tim's hair because there was nothing better for him to do.

That was okay though. That would teach him to try and make Tim think about things before he was ready to. He wouldn't be hearing anything more about how 'Bruce called' for a month.

"You know, Tim," Kory spoke up as they ate. "You really do not have to do the paper I assigned."

Tim shook his head as he finished chewing. "S'already done."

"That is very good of you," she commended. "Jason and Kon never do their papers…"

"Jay is a slacker through and through," Dick agreed. "Maybe you'll rub off on Kon though."

"Mmm," Tim made his patented evasive noise.

They stopped acting like a happy family at about nine-thirty. Tim wanted to patrol and Kory wanted to spend time with them, so it seemed the logical choice to just bring her with them on the beat.

She had her purple stripper outfit on beneath her civvies and she voiced her opinion about the Brambling and Nightwing costumes. Not enough color, she always said. They replied by saying they were Bats. She pointed out that they were both Birds and they ignored her. Dick had never really been able to satisfactorily explain what it _meant_ to be part of the Batfamily. For example, Tim had only met Bruce a few select times and he was the battiest bat child there was.

_**Thursday**_

"Hello, Wayne Residence, Alfred Pennyworth speaking."

"Could I please talk to Jason?"

"Ah, master Timothy, young master Jason is currently below."

"It'll only take a minute."

"If you insist."

"Hey, Birdy, what's going on?"

"I'm coming to Gotham tomorrow afternoon."

"Uh, why?"

"You don't have to wait for me, but I would appreciate it."

"Shit, are you going to…?"

"Yes."

"I'll wait."

"Thank you, and don't forget to write Kory's paper."

"You suck."

_**Friday**_

"Could you be gloomier?"

Today Johnny had a Green Lantern sweater because he was a proud fan boy. Tim found that painfully ironic sometimes.

"If I tried," Tim nodded. He had, at first, striven not to think about his upcoming trip to Gotham. Then he'd given up because it was (oppressing) looming over him.

"Would a make over help?" Kyle offered with a wicked quirk of his painted lips. "Some eyeliner and mascara?"

"Funny. I'm laughing," Tim muttered.

"So, what's the problem?" Johnny asked, pulling out an earpiece. The music blared. Tim marveled at the fact that he wasn't deaf.

"I have to go to Gotham, to visit family."

It was enough. It got them off his back and got him through the rest of the day, at least.

He forgot to call Dick after school, on purpose. Forgot to leave a note about where he was going; Tower or otherwise.

_**Saturday**_

He thought, for a second, that it was weird he founds tarpaper more comfortable than any couch on Earth. Then he didn't care any longer. One of Gotham's fetid breaths blew past him, rustling the stiff reeds of his hair. He closed his eyes and saw the backwards drip of blood. It was surreal and frightening. He whimpered, but kept his eyes shut with conviction.

Deep blood splayed out before him on darkness. Inverted into a bright barren waste. A choking heat encircled him. Licked at his skin. The scorching rays of the sun beat down on him, stiffening, straightening into a sharp perceptible line against the blinding white. The sound of mechanical beeps filled his ears like buzzing bees, intent on antagonizing him. He could see the clear liquid squirting through the IV.

It burst from someone's helpless veins and sprayed him. Drenching him. A ragged stream of screams carried his terrified whispers away.

Blood…everywhere…sluggish, congealing, drying, and hardening…

"I was waiting for you, Birdy," Jason said loudly. (Saving) Interrupting.

Tim looked down at his watch. It was midnight. "I lost track of time."

"Like hell you did. Dick called."

"What did you tell him?" Tim asked, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans. He viewed it as some kind of protection. Hide as much of his skin as possible and it could make up for the fact that he wasn't in uniform.

"That we'd be late to the Tower."

"How proactive."

"Fuck you. I have the damn jet, now get in so we can go to San Fran."

"Since when do you call it San Fran?"

"Shut up."

Jason tried to punch his arm and Tim completely failed to dodge.

Tim was actually surprised to find one of his Brambling suits on the jet. It sat mute and well behaved in the copilot seat. He slipped it on. He was firmly oblivious to Jason's stare and his concern.

Then there was the bruise that was forming on his arm 'cause Jason punched him.

"I'm telling Dick."

"Telling him what?" Jason inquired.

"That you hit me."

Jason rolled his eyes. "Oh, Jesus-fucking-Christ. How old _are_ you?"

"You could always bribe me," Tim suggested.

"With what?" Jay was watching him, he had the mask on but Tim knew how to read his face. Knew where his eyes were.

"You could always let me fly," Brambling shrugged with so much casualty it was almost believable. Jason's mouth became a thin, annoyed line. He got up, however.

"I'm telling Dick," he grumbled.

Tim was in the chair caressing the controls and nearly smiling. "Telling him what?"

"That you're a bitch."

Tim was busy flying. He got a strange pleasure from flying across the country. Tim knew when, viscerally, when they officially went from 'East' to 'West'. There was this amazing difference in the air and the way he saw things. The only comparison was a native of the 'North' returning there after a prolonged stay in the 'South'.

He realized that didn't help explain his point, but he'd long since accepted the fact that there were some things that could not and should not be explained.

They were approaching closer and closer to San Francisco and the Tower was on the radar.

Superboy was in the window. He was grinning and Jason grinned back, but Tim concentrated on flying.

They landed smoothly on the roof, no turbulence at all because Tim was just that good. The bay doors opened and Kon was after them like a puppy, but Tim put him off because he was just that (fucked up) antisocial. Jason made up an excuse because he didn't want to explain.

"Birdy was driving, he's just tired. Give him some coffee and he'll be back to his usual sardonic self."

"Why do you always call him that?"

"Brambling is a type of little bird, you dumbass."

All the tension had left the atmosphere and Tim was already inside, putting distance between him and the other humans.

That early in the morning, it was two o'clock. (It's _two o'clock_) It was easy to avoid people. They were all asleep except for Kon and Jay. Tim launched himself over a motion sensor so that he wouldn't disturb Vic.

He'd made note of the detectors during his nighttime prowls on the first weekend. Now he headed to the control room. He printed out Kory's lesson, which both he and Jason had missed, then he checked in on the news.

Dr. Light was running around again, Slade had been spotted in New Guinea. That was nothing imminent, nothing important enough.

Tim's eyes burned. He'd begun to close them, but he saw the flames. He had hoped, briefly, naively, that he was finally getting over all of this. Wrong, wrong, wrong. He pushed back from the desk, and made his way to the kitchen. He would take Jason's advice and drink some coffee.

Kyle had given him makeup to cover the marks of his insomnia. No one in his family knew (ideas) that he didn't sleep for weeks after his visits to Gotham. No one realized (wondered) that even if he never went to Gotham again, there would still be other nightmares that haunted him.

He was the last one awake and the first one up. He kept watch constantly and considered what it would be like to never feel the nagging pain of exhaustion again.

Caffeine powered boyflesh.

He ate the pancakes Bart made without really tasting them, judging from the others' muttered complaints, that was a good thing.

The phone rang and Kory said it was for him. Tim knew it was Dick. He was muttering out apologies before he even had the phone all the way to his ear. Dick already knew he didn't mean a word of it.

"I got your report card," Dick said.

Tim stopped breathing in shock. "And?"

"You've got straight A's."

"And?" Tim, usually so unflappable, was confused.

"I'm proud of you. I'll see you Monday."

Tim's heart nearly stopped. He heard Dick say goodbye. He heard the line cut. Wondergirl walked by, her eyes watching him.

"You okay, Brambling?"

"Yes," he answered in his blankest voice. "I'm fine."

_**Sunday**_

He liked the pool. He stretched and warmed his shoulders. Then jumped as high as he could and bent his body, diving down into the swimming pool. He sliced through the water like a knife. His fingertips brushed the light blue tiles at the bottom as he sunk completely. The water was warm and comforting on his body, even though his eyes stung a bit from the chlorine.

He twisted so his backside was on the pool's floor, kicking arms and legs. He kept himself underwater with ease.

He looked up and could see the distorted edges of the moon. It was night, it was midnight, and he hadn't even tried to sleep. Bubbles burst from his mouth as he grinned and laughed. If anyone had been able to hear it, they would have heard the hysterical note. He couldn't hold his breath much longer, and he contemplated waiting until he passed out. He wouldn't drown, but it would be a lesson in endurance. He could say that if anyone asked.

He watched the moon waver, soft and bright. Calming. He understood why bats preferred the dark. The night was far away from the flames and the brutal light of the sun. He closed his eyes and continued to hold in all his air.

He was pulled up until his head broke the surface, yet he refused to gasp. His lungs screamed, but he took deliberately small sips of air. Superboy floated out over the water.

"Shit, you were under there forever! Freaked me out."

"I had a few more seconds of air."

"Sorry. I…sorry."

"Mm," Tim murmured. He pushed onto his back and kicked towards the edge leisurely. He knew that Kon wanted something. He wouldn't have been there otherwise. Tim would just have to wait for him to spit it out.

"You're…Dick and Jason talk about you a lot."

Tim looked at him expectantly. He had to keep his face expressionless to make up for the fact that he didn't have his mask on. Inside, however, he was frowning. He didn't like to be talked about.

"Whenever Dick comes and trains us himself…you're like the standard. You know, if my little brother can do this, you bums should have no trouble."

Tim could image it. The tone of Dick's voice, the sneer that would curl to Jason's lips. He couldn't quite picture the exasperated look that might possibly cross Kon's face though.

"He exaggerates," Tim replied. He pushed with his arms until he was sitting with just his legs in the water. He wiped the droplets away from his eyes. He could feel the makeup smear just a bit. He didn't expect Superboy to be observant enough to notice it.

"Yeah, well, they really like…uh…" Kon scrubbed at his hair. "Care about you, you know…you guys act like a family. You guys aren't blood related though…are you?"

"No, we aren't," Tim answered. He supposed he could understand why Kon felt the need to ask. He was a clone, and he was expected to call Superman's family his own. Tim thought perhaps that would make for a kind of identity crisis.

"Right, well, I'll leave you the hell alone now," Kon said, and made an awkward gesture. "Sorry about interrupting…"

"I don't mind."

What shocked Tim was the moment in which he realized it was true.

* * *

**Disclaimer: Birds and Boys may break my bones but DC always owns them. **


	2. Fall

Fall

_**Friday**_

The snow was early that year. When the high schools let out for Thanksgiving Break, the streets were glistening. The teenagers were bundled up in coats and hats. Some even went as far as gloves.

Kyle combed his fingers through his dark hair and then snuggled his fur coat around him tighter.

"When should we get together?" he wondered.

"They're showing Evil Dead at the campus tomorrow," Johnny offered, his iPod dangled from around his neck. He had a yellow knit hat with red Flash wings.

"I'll talk to Dick," Tim murmured.

"Will you be visiting family?" Kyle asked, he reached down and took Tim's hand, despite Tim's resistance.

"Probably not."

Neither of his friends said anything in reply. They'd known Tim for the past several years, yet they didn't know much about him beyond a few basic facts. He lived with his older brother, he did not enjoy being particularly social, but he did like a good mystery. Also, if he really didn't want to talk about something, there was nothing in the world that could make him.

"We'll call you," Johnny decided. He put in his earpieces and Tim could just barely pick up the sounds.

They got on the bus and the other passengers were been too cheery to bother them. Kyle and Johnny talked and smiled, while Tim didn't. His mood sunk lower when they arrived at their stop and Dick was waiting for him. Kyle grasped his forearm, in an effort to convey his confusion. Tim shook him off and walked to Dick.

"Bye," Tim muttered.

"We're going to Gotham," Dick said when they were out of earshot. He had figured if he just stated it Tim wouldn't argue. He was sorely mistaken.

"No," Tim nixed the thought as he headed for their apartment. "I'm staying here, you're going to Gotham."

"They want to see you," the man argued.

"I don't want to see them."

"They're family."

"Your family."

"They're your family too!"

"You know exactly where my family is."

"Damn it, Tim!" Dick stopped before their door. Tim pushed past him to go inside.

"Not this year."

When Dick showed up in Gotham on the motorcycle, it was immediately obvious to everyone that Tim had chosen not to come with. Cass tilted her head to one side and frowned. Jason went inside to ring the little bird up.

"What the fuck?" he snarled at the innocent receiver.

"Not having this conversation."

Cass snatched the phone. "Merry Thanksgiving."

"You too, Cass. Bye."

They hung up and Jason shot her an annoyed look. "I wanted to yell at him," he pointed out. She shrugged in response.

Dick refused to comment further and started to hand out hugs all around. Except to Bruce, who resisted and looked as if even he wanted to ask about Tim.

It was when Superman dropped by to say hello to the family and noticed Tim wasn't there, that it was officially too much.

"Dick," Jason began in an accusatory tone. "How could you let him stay in Blüdhaven?"

"He's uncomfortable here," Dick responded around a sigh. "I…it didn't seem worth it to make him." He glared at Bruce for a moment, but the man ignored it. He still did not approve of Tim's initiation into the world of tights and flights. He probably never would.

Cass reached over and tugged at Dick's coat sleeve. She made an odd motion in the air.

"Sweet potatoes!" she announced with tremendous pride. She dragged him away to the kitchen where Alfred informed him that a certain young lady had assisted him. He pointed out the casserole she had prepared. She'd made a design on the top with marshmallows, Dick looked at it. A bat. Why wasn't he surprised?

Cass crouched down in front of the oven and watched the turkey with avid interest. She looked up curiously at Alfred when the timer went off. He had to shoo her away so he could remove the bird.

The Batfamily sat down to Thanksgiving Dinner and none of them had any illusions that it was normal. Jason had to sit between Bruce and Dick because they could never get along. Cass stared at all the steaming food, her eyes bright. Dick, meanwhile, eyed the empty chairs and knew Tim should have been in one. He let out a gust of breath…Cass reached across the table and poked him with her fork. She gestured at her casserole.

"Sweet potatoes for Tim."

_**Saturday**_

His breath puffed out before him in clouds and he shoved his hands further into the pockets of his coat. After the movie, Kyle and Johnny had gone to get coffee. Tim had his suspicions about them. He didn't mind it. He liked to think that he only used them in order to pretend that Tim Drake actually existed. (_Brambling _was of the opinion that he did not.)

He thought he'd actually enjoyed the movie despite himself. The bad acting had made him smile, but he wondered if he was correctly defining the emotions within him. He didn't think so, since emotions were not his forte. Tim often wished they didn't exist. Point to case, the tree rape was funny even if he was as emotionally inclined as a block of wood.

As he walked, he noticed that he was following someone else's footprints. His steps matched the ones that had come before him with practiced precision. As if he really needed to hide his movements. He stepped wide, just to leave his own mark on the sidewalk snow.

The cold, dry air burned his throat and he wanted nothing more than to get back to the apartment and sleep. He thought maybe he could. Dick wasn't there to give him the concerned-big-brother look if he did have a nightmare.

He used his key to open the door and warm air hit his face with full force. He exhaled noisily and toed off his sneakers. The coat was hung neatly on the peg from years of habit.

Tim sat down on the couch, curling up at one of the ends. He wished that he could have gone to the Tower. He could have trained or something, but it would have been empty. As much as he didn't want to see Bruce and as much as he wanted to be alone, he didn't want to be alone _there_.

He turned on the TV so he could watch the news. The phone rang and he ignored it. It was turning into one of those days where Tim Drake tried to make himself known to himself.

The doorbell rang. Tim got up in a pique of pure, unadulterated, curiosity. No one should have been visiting. When he opened the door no one was there, but he had a tickling feeling at the back of his neck. He whipped around in time to see Kon climbing in through the window.

"What are you doing here?" Tim asked. He was more shocked than he was letting on.

"Long story short…Supes went to see Bats yesterday, you know Thanksgiving, and you weren't there. So, when he came to the Kent's he mentioned it." Kon shut the window and looked around the apartment. "This place is so much better than Smallville."

"You didn't answer my question," Tim observed, he made his way closer using slow wary steps.

"I didn't? Oh, right, well…we're sorta buddies, right? It's not cool to let your buds spend holidays alone."

"How did you know where to find me?"

"Dick let us know where he was, in case we ever needed him. You live with him so,"

"Deductive reasoning." Tim blinked a few times in hurried succession, in case this was a fucked up dream.

"I can leave if you want me to?" Kon offered. He hooked his thumbs into his belt loops, in a vain effort to look casual.

"No, it's fine." Tim realized he didn't have his mask and in a sequitur instant discovered he didn't care. "I could get you a drink?"

Kon absolutely beamed. "No, thanks. You know, I should have thought to bring some of Aunt Martha's cookies or something."

Tim inclined his head toward the couch and they plopped down on it together.

The TV was chattering. There was a reel of Tarantula on the local news, then one of Cassie on the national news. The phone rang again. The clone gave his friend a confused look when he didn't get up. Tim shrugged and made himself more comfortable.

Kon's lips were pursed as if he wanted to say something further. Tim turned to pay attention. Two pairs of blue eyes met.

"How long were you supposed to be alone?"

"A week."

"Shit, what were you going to do, until I showed up and fucked your plans?"

Tim raised an eyebrow. "I didn't have any plans for you to 'fuck'."

Kon blushed. "I meant…"

"I know what you meant."

"Right."

"I don't mind being alone."

"I…"

"I don't mind being with you either."

Tim was going to say that. He was going to get it out and he was going to recline on the couch and watch Kon become more uncomfortable. Because that was the way the script went. Tim had spent the past five months observing Kon. Not him specifically, but the Titans: his new teammates.

Kon wasn't supposed to press forward. Kon wasn't supposed to grab his head and kiss him. No one was supposed to do that to Tim, who put so much effort into staying aloof. Most importantly, Tim wasn't supposed to kiss back.

It happened. Their lips moved and Kon was running his fingers over Brambling's face, where the mask would have—_should_ have—been. The fabric of the couch cushions made a crinkling noise as they shifted. As Kon leaned him back. Tim's palms were curved to each side of Kon's face and his tongue was twined with Superboy's.

"Tim," Kon moaned. Tim had never given the Titans his name. He had never planned to, but Jason and Dick had blabbed. He'd been angry at the time, for the reason that he'd wanted to keep his worlds separate. He didn't mind so much now. There was a curious feeling attached to thinking 'I'm kissing Kon and holding Superboy'. Then he made a low whining sound in his throat and bucked his hips.

"Oh god," Tim whimpered. Their lips parted and his mouth drifted upwards over Kon's brow. The clone was pressed against his thigh, rubbing his erection, grinding and Tim gasped, his hips jerking again.

"This wasn't the plan," Superboy panted. His voice was so breathless and amazed. Tim threw his head back and closed his eyes. His jeans were punishing, but he didn't want to risk ruining everything by fumbling over his zipper. He made another noise when Kon's hands left his face and moved to his crotch.

"I didn't think…you had a—**Kon**—plan," Tim called out. It was loud enough to be embarrassing. He groaned harshly when Kon's hand enveloped his dick. When had he gotten the pants open? "Oh god…you don't…"

"I don't know what else to _do_," Kon growled. He fisted Tim hard and fast. "So fucking confusing…"

Control was rapidly becoming a foreign concept. His jeans and boxers were around his thighs, constricting him and he squirmed violently. His whole body was tingling from a lack of oxygen. Brambling leaned forward to crush their mouths back together. He came with a wet murmur of sound, muffled by Kon's tongue.

Tim reached down to twine their hands and his mess squished between Kon's fingers. It made a filthy sound and Kon grinned against his mouth. Tim urged their hands up and began to lap at the cum delicately with the tip of his tongue.

The clone shifted above him, pressing himself to Tim's hip and hissing with pleasure. He buried his face into the crook of his friend's neck. His moan came out as a tepid gust of breath as Tim began to work blindly at his zipper. His hand was shaking and he didn't understand why. Then it didn't matter because he had a cock in his palm. He rubbed his thumb over the slit and Kon nearly sobbed.

A look of concentration stole over Brambling's face and Kon was certain it was the sexiest thing he'd ever seen. He was _so_ close. His thighs were twitching a little and he couldn't keep his hips still. Tim was so good, with those calloused hands and it was too good, he wondered who else…who…

"Jesus!" he groaned, pumping against Tim's tiny, nimble (skilled) hand. When Tim snaked his other hand down and cupped his balls, kneading just enough, Kon orgasmed in a blur of mess and white.

They kissed again even though it would have served them better to get their breath back. The skins of their thighs were stuck together from their sweat and the room smelled of their sex.

"That was," Kon began to say, but Tim sat upright. He stared at the door. Superboy heard the soft clink of keys.

"Dick. We…Talk. Later." He urged Kon off of him, tugged his pants back over his hips and took quick strides towards the bathroom. Kon had to fight with his own clothes and then the window, but he made it out. The sound of a shower starting followed on his heels.

_**Sunday**_

Tim didn't sleep a wink and in the morning they had Cass's sweet potatoes for breakfast.

"You're back."

They hadn't spoken the day before. Tim had stayed in the shower for an irregular amount of time, and then he'd gone into his room and shut the door. They hadn't talked while patrolling either. Dick had asked if he was okay, but other than that they'd been in separate places and retained radio silence.

_Now _they were talking.

"I'm sorry."

Dick froze and gave his little brother a calculating look. "You don't need to be."

"I ruined your visit with Bruce."

"Jesus." Dick rubbed at his eyes because Tim was so frustrating! "No. Just. No."

"You could have stayed," Tim began to point out.

"No! You shouldn't be alone. Even if they aren't your family, I am. And I am not going to just leave you alone in our apartment. I'm not just leaving you alone. I don't care how much you want me to!" Dick slammed his hand down on the table. He was angry and Tim was staring at him in such an odd way.

"I still…" I still have nightmares about Batman swallowing me whole. "I'm sorry. Maybe next year."

"Jay says you have to come for Christmas."

"I'll think about it."

_**Monday**_

The phone rang a lot. Kyle and Johnny each called respectively. Then the calls from the heroes began to pour in as they each discovered, in turn, that Dick was no longer at the Manor.

By noon, Tim was ready to unplug the thing. He was aware that Nightwing had a lot of friends. But why couldn't they just talk to Dick? Why did each and every one of them feel the need to say hello to him as well? Even better question, since this was Dick's last day off, why would he waste it answering the phone?

"You're part of the family," Dick answered, his tone was grim and Tim knew he was still brooding over the whole 'Holiday Visiting Family' issue.

They lounged on the couch, watching some parade somewhere. Tim thought it was dull, parades in general but watching them on TV specifically. The phone rang. Dick picked it up. They'd gotten a longer cord and pulled the thing over to the couch after the first hour's worth of phone calls.

"Hello? Hey, wow, didn't think I'd be hearing from you. Sure. Tim, take the phone and be civil."

The phone was pressed to his ear and Jason made a point of talking loudly,

"Hey, Birdy! How are you doing?"

Tim pulled the receiver away several centimeters. "What do you want?"

"Didn't Dick just tell you to be civil?"

Tim moved the phone a few more centimeters. "I am being civil. Now, what do you want?"

"I'm thinking of taking the Redbird over there and bugging the hell out of you for the rest of your vacation."

"Nothing I could do to stop you?"

"I might consider it, if you asked."

"No you wouldn't."

"I would too. I would still come, but I would _consider_ it first."

"You'll be heading out tonight?"

"Yes."

"I'll make an effort to not be here then."

"Fuck you."

"Noted."

Tim held the phone back out to Dick.

_**Tuesday**_

Jason started the next day by asking if Tim he'd slept. Tim glared and shut the bathroom door in his face. Jason sat in the hallway, with his back to the door and talked.

"And Cass did this thing, shit, I can't even describe it…She's so flexible she makes Dick look like a block of wood."

Tim rolled his eyes as he put the skin colored makeup on his face. He didn't take it off when he slept, but, to keep it looking real, he had to wash it off and reapply in the mornings.

"And with her costume, the way the leather was all clinging and you could see every muscle…Man, I bet even Bruce was hard…"

Tim opened the door quickly. Jason turned and gave him an impish look.

"Don't talk about your sister like that," the little bird muttered.

"You're going to make her cry," Jason said as if he were indicting him. "She's your sister too."

Tim edged past him in the narrow hallway. He made his way toward the kitchen. "Not legally."

Jason followed with an indignant squawk. "You're such a piece of shit!"

"Jay!" Dick snapped. He was sitting on the counter beside the toaster oven, waiting for his bread to finish toasting. "Watch your language."

"Yes, daddy," Robin-boy sneered.

It was like some surreal kind of sitcom, the three brothers all crammed into the tiny kitchenette talking and bickering. Someone ruffled someone else's dark hair and a set of blue eyes narrowed while another pair gleamed with mirth.

The car horn sounded out front, Dick shoved his last piece of toast into Jay's mouth and headed out the door. He waved to his little brothers from the doorway and then was gone.

Tim drank his coffee in silence, reading the newspaper like he always did. His mind catalogued all the information: woman giving birth the quintuplets, Asian grocery robbed. Meanwhile, his brain went over the fact that he hadn't spoken to Kon since Saturday.

He wondered if Kon had gotten in trouble with the Kent's for, not just leaving the city, but for leaving the state altogether. Tim wondered if they'd noticed. How fast could Kon fly anyway?

He took a _long_ draught of coffee as he replayed the weekends events. He hadn't expected that from Kon. He'd been going over those moments for the past forty-eight hours and he still wasn't able to explain it. He was supposed to be the second greatest detective next to Batman himself and he hadn't noticed that Superboy, who had all the subtlety of an orange yak at a Russian fashion show, had wanted him in any kind of way. They got along, yes, they were friends and they talked like any other normal teenaged superheroes might. Which was a strange paradox right there. Was he over thinking? Dick had told him, on multiple occasions, that he did that…

"EARTH TO TIM! COME IN, BIRDY! THIS IS JASON SPEAKING! DO YOU COPY?"

Tim jolted in his seat and blinked. Jason was watching him. Not just watching him. He'd gotten onto the table and was sitting on his knees in front of him.

"What?" Tim asked.

"You zoned out." Jason looked concerned. Tim hated that look on Jason's face. He wasn't supposed to be concerned, he was supposed to be the one who thought this was all a game.

_**Wednesday**_

Tim crashed and burned. He slept from one in the morning until noon the next day. The patrol hadn't been that difficult, but he hadn't slept for weeks. He had a debt to pay.

He came out into the living room to find Jason lounged upside down on the couch.

"Sleeping Birdy awakens," he said with a leer.

"You let me oversleep," Tim was tempted to pout. He didn't expect Jason would respond well to that, however.

"Yeah." Jason was doing the concerned thing again. Tim let that subject die, quickly.

"Should we do something today?" Brambling felt a yawn coming on and he beat it back.

"Like what?"

"What did you come here to do?" Tim's exasperation level was rising. Jason was doing it on purpose.

"To hang with you, since you were a pussy little bitch and skipped out on the holiday festivities." Jason sat up on a swift motion and narrowed his eyes. "Thought I made that clear, guess not."

"Thought I made it clear I wasn't going to talk about that, guess not," Tim snapped back. Jason looked taken aback and surprised. Tim getting snappy was on the same level as Dick cursing. (Outside of sex. "Oh **fuck**, Roy, **fuck** me." He wasn't _supposed to know _about…) No composure, Tim was all composure.

"You can't run from it forever."

"Forever isn't here yet."

_**Thursday**_

Jay was still there when Tim woke up. He'd slept two nights in a row: he was going for the gold. At least, it was a reasonable hour. The littlest Bat wandered into the kitchen just as Dick was pouring himself a glass of milk and then forcing Jason, still in pajamas, to take some vitamins.

"Morning, little brother," Nightwing greeted as he pried open Jason's mouth. "You two have any plans for today?"

"I told Kyle and Johnny I'd convene with them at the mall. I think I'd like Jason to meet them," Tim replied. He headed straight for the coffee.

Dick grinned and it made Robin wary.

"Kyle and Johnny? Who are they?"

"Tim's friends from school," Dick informed him.

Jason turned his attention to Tim. "I didn't know you had a friend!"

"Two, even," Tim answered, and gave Jason the most withering look he could muster. Alfred would have been proud.

"Then there are the Titans," Dick interjected.

"Whoa, whoa, mutual friends, I'm talkin' Birdy's friends."

"Shut up and put on clothes so we can go out," Tim muttered.

Jason obeyed him, just that once. Dick made a comment about it, but didn't have time to get into a full-blown discussion on Jay's acquiescence. The car pool pulled up. At least he had his breakfast finished.

Within the hour Jason and Tim were trudging through the snowy streets. Jason said something about how Blüdhaven was cleaner, how he was a little jealous that Brambling and Nightwing got the city. Tim stared at him and thought about how much he just _wished_ they could trade places. How he wished he could go into Gotham without the nightmares following him.

Jason demonstrated his Robin-honed reflexes by slipping on a patch of ice. Tim made a crack about how 'at least he wasn't wearing the panties'. Jason slung a handful of dirty snow at him in response.

"Redesign the suit," Tim recommended.

"I like the casual thing Kon has going," Jason nodded.

Tim's cheekbones turned red. "Maybe not that far, but you could get some pants. Dick and I wear pants. Even Cass wears pants."

"The only person who doesn't wear pants in this little group is Kyle and we like him that way." Johnny was standing by the light pole smiling. His iPod was blaring and his sweater had Beast Boy's smiling face on it.

"I thought we were meeting at the mall?" Tim asked. He was still blushing.

"Kyle is there, but we agreed that you would try to skip out on us, so I came to drag you to your torture…who is your buddy?" Johnny held out a hand, Jason took it and squeezed too hard on purpose.

"I'm Jason, Timmy's other brother."

"Tim has another brother?" Johnny looked genuinely surprised. "Kyle is going to sulk when he finds out that you kept such vital friend information from us. So, what? You live in the attic of their apartment? 'Cause I have never seen you before."

"I live in Gotham." Jason and Johnny were getting along and Tim felt his insides squirm, a warning of impending doom. "Doesn't Dick have a picture of me anywhere?" Jason was looking at Tim, waiting for an answer.

"Uh, in his bathroom?" Tim supplied weakly.

"Geeze, I see how much you assholes care!"

Jason's reaction to Kyle was predictable. He thought he was a girl and Kyle was absolutely flattered. He twirled around once, in the skirt he could only wear outside of school. Then the image was ruined entirely when Kyle beat them all out in a nacho-eating contest.

"I like your friends," Jason commented as they went out patrolling that night.

"Get your own friends, Robin, those two are mine."

"Possessive much, Birdy?"

"By the way, when are you getting out of my town?"

"I could always say the Tower is mine and that the Titans are my friends," Jason pointed out. He tried to punch Tim and missed.

"Then you'd be lying and Robin never lies."

"Yeah. Right now? I'm imagining you as Robin. And what do you mean I'd be lying?"

"The Titans were mine first. I'm just nice enough to share," Nightwing interrupted, over the radio.

"Sharing is caring, Robin."

"Shut the fuck up, you little hypocrite."

"Language," Nightwing chimed.

* * *

**Disclaimer: Birds and Boys may break my bones but DC always owns them. **


	3. Winter

Winter

_**Tuesday**_

Tim got out of Christmas by promising to come for New Years. He got out of New Years by going to the Tower with Kory. Jason was pissed and Batgirl came to Blüdhaven over the following weekend to check on Tim herself. Also to deliver his Christmas presents.

Brambling could cope with that though. He tried to limit his visits to Gotham to once a year. Any more than that and he would _never_ sleep again. Rest was far too elusive as it was.

Tim twirled the knife he'd gotten as a gift. The Blüdhaven boys were watching the news, waiting to see what the official announcement would be. Would Puxatony Phil see his shadow? Would there be six more weeks of winter? Dick's fork clacked on his plate as he shoveled the bits of egg into his mouth.

"Oh! Look at that! The little guy crawled back into his home! Looks like we're in for a few more weeks of winter!"

Tim sighed, tossed the knife up and then caught it by the hilt. It was snowing almost constantly anyhow. He supposed that was what the damn Yankees got. He wondered how the weather was in Kansas…He turned to the channel and scanned the map: thirty-five degrees and cloudy. Dick jumped up to put his dish into the sink, and then began to hunt down his boots and coat.

"I got the letter about the fieldtrip," he called from the door. "I wrote the check, it's still in my checkbook."

Tim twisted around to give him a tired look. "You didn't have to, really."

"I respect your antisocial tendencies most of the time, little brother. You're going on this trip."

"I've read Othello at least three times, I don't really want to see it massacred by some two-bit theatre company _while_ with my classmates and teachers."

"Too bad, gotta go, see you when I get back."

_**Wednesday**_

The pipes had frozen and then burst in the school. The floors were wet and the first story ceilings dripped. It was during that long day that all the high school students learned just how effective Chinese water torture really was.

Tim sat in his Algebra class and the sole of his boot squeaked along the tiles as he shifted anxiously. The room was in a corner of the building and one of the few areas even remotely dry. He was trying to concentrate on some plans to modify the security system on Dick's warehouse, while at the same time supposedly listening to the new lesson on multiple functions. What he was really doing? Pondering what detention was like.

The track coach was in charge and he was an incompetent prig. Therefore, Tim imagined that detention with him would be the equivalent of several decades in one of the lower circles of Hell.

Someone threw a wad of paper as his head. He tore his gaze up from the schematics hidden in his book. The class was discussing an application for cosine. He turned his head toward the window. The sky was almost white, affected from all the snow covering the city.

There was a dark, stray, cloud besmirching the simple purity…it became the scene from his nightmares and he shut his eyes tight enough for the monochrome dots to flare under his lids. He heard the beep of machinery and then the drip of IV fluid…

The bell rang and he rushed to the bathroom to splash cold water on his face.

**_Thursday_**

There was a tiny Asian man in glasses playing Othello. Tim considered killing himself in his seat. He was dozing by the end of the play, and Kyle prodded him when it was time to go.

It was almost noon and the students were given free reign of the nearby fast food restaurants for forty-five minutes. Johnny wrapped his arm around Kyle's waist and led them all to Suki-Hana.

"_Get a haircut and get a real job. Clean your act up and don't be a slob. Get it together like your big brother Bob. Why don't you get a haircut and get a real job._" Johnny hummed along to his music, the Bat symbol dancing animatedly on his chest.

Their orders were handled quickly, as they were the only members of their class to come in for _Japanese_ fast food. Tim strayed away from the sushi, he had no guarantee it was fresh and food poisoning was the last thing he needed. (_Though Kon did like…)_

Johnny had no such inhibitions. He pulled out his earpieces and then pushed a piece of mackerel into his mouth. Kyle elbowed him and then began to pick at his rice with spindly wooden chopsticks.

Tim eyed them both from across the booth. "Where are you two going for Valentine's Day?" he asked.

Kyle's pale cheeks turned red.

"Dude. Surprise," Johnny replied and then slung an arm around Kyle's shoulders.

"What about you, Timmy?" Kyle inquired.

Their friend shrugged. "I'll probably be at home."

"There are still a few weeks, I can rework my plans. We don't want you to be alone, man," Johnny protested.

"I won't be," Tim replied. He half-smiled and his friends nearly had heart attacks.

_**Friday**_

Bruce had been leaving messages on the answering machine and the nightmares had been worse than usual.

First Batman loomed over his shoulder, and then swallowed him whole. As he tumbled down the endless chasm of the creature's throat, flames licked his skin. At the end of the chute, he landed in a pile of rotting corpses. Bits of flesh peeled away from Dick's cheekbone, chalky splinters from broken bones protruded from Jason, and maggots wriggled all over Cass. He was trapped there, unable to move, paralyzed, and the smells of death made him want to vomit.

He jerked awake, having only slept two hours, and tried to forget the dream.

He almost didn't make it through school. They were doing an experiment in Chemistry. The bright red flame of the Lithium doused rods made him sweat.

He ate lunch in silence, staring out the windows that made up the western wall. Snow was still coating everything…He contemplated going to the nurse and faking sick until he realized Dick would never be able to come check him out. He thought about his mother and blanched. His eyes closed and he waited for the bell to ring.

Later, Kyle fussed over him and even Johnny turned off his iPod. They didn't want to let him go home alone, but he insisted.

He grabbed a pad of paper in order to leave Dick a note then he packed his bags and called up Superboy.

"Hey, Tim? Dude. Hi. What…you're calling? Is everything okay?"

"I need you to come get me."

"What? Now?"

"Now."

Kon didn't even bother to say goodbye before he hung up the phone. Tim slung his backpack over his shoulders and then went to kill time on the apartment complex's front stoop.

If Tim had bothered to explain and alleviate Kon's fears, it would have taken Superboy ten minutes, tops. As it were, Kon was there in five. He tried to be discrete by landing in a nearby alley, and then walk to where Tim sat waiting.

"Hey!" he called and he looked concerned. Tim reminded himself how much he hated that look. It was so different on Kon's face though.

"Hey."

"You wanted me to come. I'm here, are you…"

Tim stepped forward, invading his personal space deliberately. "I need a ride."

"Uh." The apples of Kon's cheeks turned into cherries. He wrapped his arms around Tim's middle, his hands resting on the Bird's hips. "Where?"

"Just fly."

They were in the sky in seconds, no cares and definitely no discretion. They stopped and hovered several hundred feet up. Tim let his chin rest on Kon's shoulder as he stared out into the sky. It was bluer up there. Not so white. It soothed him in a way he hadn't expected. Perhaps the feeling of Kon's body pressed against his was really to blame.

He spent so much time putting people off; he found it troubling to enjoy being with Kon so much. He voiced this confusion to the air. Kon's arms tightened around him.

"Maybe it's because you like me," he suggested.

"Impossible," Brambling scoffed.

Kon pulled his head back and kissed him. A cold winter wind whipped around them, clouds full of snow blew past, and Tim felt himself growing lightheaded. He kept his eyes opened as they kissed so he could watch Kon's eyelashes fluttering just so, and the way his jaw moved as their mouths worked against each other.

"Why didn't you get a ride with Dick or Jason?" Kon mumbled against his lips.

"Not an acceptable topic for discussion."

"You could be a bit more forthcoming."

"Noted."

"You're an asshole."

"Also noted."

"I don't understand why Dick and Jay let you get away with this!" Kon growled.

"Because." _Because they understand what a wreck I am and they think that if they try to help, I'll break._

"I'm not letting you get away with it."

They were kissing again and Kon's arms were squeezing him too tightly.

It felt wonderful.

They headed towards San Francisco, where it was warmer and where the Tower was. Mostly where it was warmer. Kon wanted an excuse to pull some of Tim's clothes off. Such as, the jacket and the sweater and probably the t-shirt under that, all of it. It just needed to suddenly be gone.

He settled them in a park amongst a grove of trees and slid his hands up Tim's shirt. With the change in temperature, Tim was too hot and he was beginning to sweat so his coat and backpack hit the ground, leaves and twigs cracking loudly. Kon pushed him backward. Tim could feel the rough scrape of bark on his lower back where his shirt bunched.

It made no sense.

Tim yelped and it was too loud. Kon's hand had slipped into his pants and he was squeezing.

"God. Oh, God." Tim whined. His hips jerked forward, trying to press his crotch to Kon's. Superboy hadn't opened the jeans, just stuck his hand in and now he was caught between infuriating layers of fabric.

"You," Kon groaned and used his free hand to push Tim's hips back. "You drive me freaking crazy…" He was lucky he didn't rip the pants as he worked the button and zipper.

Every time this happened Tim became an (Composure?) inarticulate mess in Kon's arms. All he could do was squirm and moan. He made a wet noise as they kissed again, and then bit at Kon's lower lip.

"Please, **Kon**, please," Tim gasped when his mouth was once again unoccupied. He tilted his head back as far as he could and shut his eyes. Kon latched onto the delicate curve of his neck, sucking and biting while his hand moved in strong jerky strokes. Tim's balls were getting tighter and Kon was holding his hip down so he couldn't buck properly. He chewed on his lip, trying not to groan again.

Tim's mind started working backwards and he was afraid of what was going to happen with Kon…He let out a sob as he came all over Kon's hand and his shirt. He was panting even as he urged Kon back and dropped to his knees. His hands were shaking and he would kill himself if he started to cry.

He mouthed the head of Kon's dick and the clone said something as his hands found their way to Tim's hair. He clutched at the stiff strands and that scared Tim. He was losing control. He couldn't keep this if he lost control of it! (Composure?) He forced his way all the way down. His nose was buried in Kon's thatch and he choked as the dick bumped the back of his throat. He didn't let up because this was Kon.

Brambling didn't want to keep Superboy at arms length.

He was tired of that. He was _so_ tired.

He swallowed around the cock in his mouth, and then gagged again. He felt Kon trying to urge him back and he only did so at his own leisure. He drew away for one moment to take a deep breath through his mouth, and then descended once more.

Kon had Tim's head in his hands and he thrust as carefully as he **could**. It was a lot to ask that he keep his cool. He grunted and his eyelids slid down even though he wanted to keep staring down at Tim. At how his prick disappeared into the guy's mouth…His hips jumped forward with the thought.

"Tim…I…" The words were lost. His orgasm ravaged his entire body, making his knees buckle. Tim caught him, took his lips from his cock and eased him to the ground.

"I don't understand t-this," Tim whispered and coughed. His lips were swollen and they looked wet and…Kon reached up to run his thumb over them. His other arm yanked his friend's torso closer. "Why me?"

"Because you've done nothing but try to push me away," Kon answered, his voice husky. "And it wasn't because I was the clone of Superman or because _I was me_. It was because I was just like everyone else and I seriously didn't get what that meant, at all. I don't understand what it is you're trying so hard not to see in people and…I've tried to find out and all I can gather is that you're amazing and you don't want anyone to see it."

"I have secrets."

"And I want to help you keep them."

Somehow, eventually, they righted themselves, despite the fact that Kon's shirt was a total loss. He left it in a thicket and wore Tim's sweater, which stretched across his shoulders terribly. They flew the last few miles to the Tower together.

_**Saturday**_

He spent the night in the pool. He had told Kon he was going to bed and waited in his room for a long time then he slipped to the pool as quietly as he could, where he just floated. The water protected him from the flames.

Just before dawn he went back to his room to shower and make sure he looked presentable. He worried less about the makeup with the Titans because he had an excuse to wear his domino all the time and the whiteout lenses eliminated the comments about his bloodshot eyes. Whoever had invented them was a Godsend.

Jason started the day by mentioning Bruce wanted to talk to him. Tim ignored him and Kon gave them both a strange look.

They went to train and Jason brought it up again, so Tim came down on him harder. He landed a punch to his jaw.

There was a breakout at Alcatraz and they all headed out. Cyborg was the officially leader of the team, but now that Tim was there, they awaited his orders.

Brambling orchestrated everything beautifully. The crowd was herded back, the fires put out and the villains returned to their cells. Tim spent a good long while talking with to the Alcatraz faculty about how to step up their security.

When he returned, Jason greeted him bringing up Bruce yet again. Tim kept his face cool, but his shoulders tensed.

"Don't be a bastard, Jason," he hissed quietly.

"I won't let you keep dodging this," Robin replied. Brambling coolly pushed past him and headed for his room.

Kon sidled over beside the Teen Wonder. "What's going on?" He hoped he sounded innocent enough.

Jason frowned, seeming to be in deep thought. Then, at length, he spoke. "Don't worry about it. The family has it under control." He smiled wanly at the clone and then walked away.

It did nothing to convince his teammate. Superboy went to talk to Tim on his own. He found his…friend? Teammate? Boyfriend? Lover? What was he officially? Kon hadn't thought about it before. Maybe he would bring it up. He knocked on the door to Tim's room. It opened enough for Kon to see inside.

Tim looked pale and Kon looked worried. Worried was different than concerned, it felt better when it settled onto Tim's shoulders.

"I'm fine." Tim grimaced and decided he preferred Kon's smile, nonetheless.

"You're lying."

"I won't tell you."

"What am I to you?"

The little bird froze. "I…can't…"

"I've told you I won't let you push me away, and I've told you I'll help you keep your secrets. How can I help keep them if I don't know what they are?" Kon paused. He hadn't realized how much sense it made until he said it.

"Not yet," Tim murmured. He was backing away, so Kon matched him step for step, then drew him _in_.

"You're acting like a freak," he said.

"I know," Tim replied.

Kon kissed him because he had no idea what else might possibly help.

_**Sunday**_

Jason paced the roof. He hadn't been angry at the time, but now he was. He was so furious he could barely think. His fists itched inside the gauntlets. The wind thrashed against his bare legs and ruffled the cape. It _really_ didn't detract from his rage.

_Tim…_

He growled and then headed down into the Tower.

He had found and punched Superboy before he could contemplate any further.

"Wh-what the fuck!" the clone cried out. He floated backwards hurriedly, trying to put the couch between himself and Jason.

"Don't touch him!" Jason discovered he was yelling as he menaced Kon.

"Oh fuck…look, Jay, calm down," Kon pleaded. He held out his arms as fair warning, he didn't want to hurt one of his best friends.

"Stay the hell away from him!" Jason repeated with a snarl. His fist swung again, but Kon caught it and tried to hold Robin back.

"Let me _explain_," Kon pleaded. Jason kicked him in the stomach, sending him back a pace.

"No, Kon, I _saw_ you. He's my _little_ brother! There is nothing to explain and I'm going to kill you with my bare hands." Jason had quieted his voice, but his eyes still flashed with violence.

He'd fucking seen them with his own eyes! He'd gone after Tim to apologize. **He**, Jason Todd, he had gone to apologize! He just wanted to help his crazy little brother. Instead he'd found diminutive Brambling swallowed up in Superboy's overwhelming embrace. And as if that weren't enough betrayal, they were kissing. His best friend was taking advantage of his younger brother's unstable emotional state. That was just fucking fantastic!

"Why does…I'm not going to hurt him!" Kon protested.

"It's too late! He's already—" Jason gestured wildly, and then his motion halted midair.

"I'm already what, Robin?"

Jason had the control not to turn white as he spun around to face Brambling.

"You're fucked up," he said.

"How so?"

"How so? Do you really want me to answer that fucking question, right fucking here, right fucking now?"

Tim raised an eyebrow of open invitation.

"You're fucked up because when you were a kid you watched Dick's parents fall to their deaths." Jay took a step towards Tim, his face was set with frustration and anger and _concern_. "You're fucked up because you were with your parents when they were kidnapped. You were there when the terrorists tortured and killed their secretary. You were there during the whacked out fire ceremony. You felt the damn heat! You were _right fucking there_ when your mom and your dad dropped to the ground and you watched their bodies get stiff," Jason paused, and pursed his lips. "You're fucked up because Batman terrifies you, but you want to be part of his family so badly. And you're fucked up because your father is—"

"That's enough," Tim murmured.

"I'm. Not. Finished."

"That's enough," Tim repeated at a tranquil, deliberate cadence. Kon was staring at him, his eyes were wide and blue and worried. Then Tim's voice quavered. "That is…enough…"

"Jesus," Kon whispered.

Tim's gaze strayed to somewhere over Jason's left shoulder, Robin turned to look and he became aware of all the stares he could feel burning on him.

"How much did you hear?" Tim asked.

Every Titan, save for Kory, appeared, each more sheepish than the last. Except for Raven, she seemed unfazed but, then again, she'd probably known all about Tim's internal drama from the start.

"Not much, we heard Jay yelling," Cassie began.

"Just the part about Batman," Bart supplied.

Beast Boy gave them all a strange look. "Dick called to say he'd be here soon."

It was hard for everyone to disperse after that. Kon didn't want to leave Tim, but Robin snarled and pulled Brambling away from him. The others were startled and confused by the behaviour of their teammate, and their friend.

They were waiting for Tim to snap though. Watching for the first sign that he was going to hit Jason for letting out his secrets. Tim understood how they were thinking and it bothered him. He wasn't that unstable. He had entreated Jason to speak and now their unwitting audience had the wrong impression.

Kon was watching him too…Tim wasn't sure what that signified. The clone confused him more than ever.

It had felt good to hear Jason describe his psychological issues. He wasn't stupid, Tim was well aware of just what caused his insomnia, his antisocial tendencies, his secrecy, and his unwillingness to speak with Bruce. It was all out in the open now without Tim having to use up any energy with some kind of emotion trauma.

Now Jason was furious, fuming beside him, so Tim turned and hugged him tightly, squeezing. It was uncomfortable and his chest plate was probably digging into Jason's sides. Jay wasn't a touchy feely kind of guy to begin with.

"What are you doing?" Jason asked. He was exasperated. Tim had heard the same tones in Dick's voice many times.

"I'm not angry," Tim clarified. It seemed the thing to do, maybe the right course of action.

"You should be. I was a prick earlier and I was a prick just then, but I am _not_ apologizing." Jason wrapped his arms around Tim and squeezed back twice as hard. It hadn't been much of a hug from the start, but by then it was a flat out clutch.

"Good. I'm going to wait for Nightwing. I'll see you next weekend."

Tim sat on the roof, letting the warm winds of the bay blow past him. When the jet, much smaller than the Batjet, landed, Dick already knew. He came out of the craft and looked his little brother over with a critical eye.

"I'm not injured, Nightwing," Brambling murmured as he walked up the gangplank.

"Vic told me what happened."

"It's resolved."

Dick grabbed his shoulder to stop him. "The family isn't enough for you?"

"That isn't it."

"What is it then?"

"We can talk on the way home."

Dick realized Tim was pleading. He almost ignored it, he almost pressed him, but then he went to get the jet into the air. Tim followed in silence and strapped himself into the copilot seat. When Dick glanced over at him he found the mask was making it harder than ever to read the kid's face.

"Talk," Nightwing commanded.

"I don't want this to hurt you."

Dick was brought up short. Tim was being infuriating and confusing, but he was _family_. Dick was responsible for him. He was the one who'd fucked up and failed to save his parents in Haiti. So, he was the one who'd been raising him since. Dick loved him like a brother or a son, or whatever he was and he hurt every time **he** couldn't be the one to help Tim.

"Why Kon?" Dick asked quietly.

"I don't know." Tim was staring down at his hands. They were still hidden in his black gauntlets. "It isn't because you aren't enough…It isn't about you or Jason or Cass or Alfred or anyone. It's about me. "

How did he explain that Kon was no different from Roy or Kory or any of Dick's friends? No different, except in all the ways that he was and all the ways that Tim wasn't Dick.

"We only want to help you."

"I know."

_**Monday**_

There was a point where school stopped mattering. It was hard to give a fuck about Life Skills when his mind was locked onto the fact that he had hurt the people he thought of as his family.

Why weren't they enough? Why couldn't he get past his nightmares or just let himself be accepted. Why did he relax so much more with the Titans? Why Kon?

He slumped down in his chair and thought about Kon. They would have to talk and Tim had a jaded suspicion that their discussion would not end well.

He didn't have the patience for Kyle and Johnny. They were okay with it though. They knew how to give him his space.

When he got home, at last, he dropped his backpack on the floor. He left his shoes and his coat in a pile by the door and as he moved through the apartment, he spotted a note Dick had left.

_Be back early tonight to have dinner._

When had it gotten there? Tim always left after Dick did. He would've had to have come back to leave that. The phone rang. Tim reached the short distance and answered.

"Hey."

"Kon?"

"Yeah, I…we didn't really…you left all of a sudden…"

"Yes."

"I don't…I don't think you planned for me to find out…like that."

"You're correct."

"Is everything cool with you and Jay?"

"Yes."

"You're making this harder."

"Noted."

"Tim. Is your dad still alive?"

Deep shaky breath. "Yes."

* * *

**Disclaimer: Birds and Boys may break my bones but DC always owns them. **


	4. Spring

Spring

**_Sunday _**

The suit was stiff. It crinkled loudly when he shifted. The clicking sound of heeled shoes approached the lobby and a nurse poked her head in, eyes widening in surprise.

"How wonderful!" She pushed a twist of fair hair from her eye. "Mr. Drake will be so pleased to see you!"

She held the door open and intended to lead, but Tim knew the way, could have walked it in his sleep. He made his way down the drab hospital halls. He felt as if he were making no progress as he moved through the identical passageways. There were white walls, white tiles, flickering overhead lights and sickly people in wheelchairs every time he turned a corner.

He straightened out the suit when he came to the door and plastered a smile onto his face. His father's sight was intact. He could still see him. Tim's face hurt from the false grin and he turned the knob.

Then the door swung open, the scene from his nightmares lay out bare before him. The wires, IVs, apparatus surrounding his father like a monster ready to devour him. Tim closed his eyes for a moment, long enough to take a good deep breath. He walked to the man's bedside and took the pale, fragile hand into his own, squeezing tenderly.

"Today is Easter, Dad," he murmured. Jack's eyes flashed with understanding. "I'm going to spend it with Batman and his family. They've been really good to me."

His father remained still, trapped in a web of inactive nerves. The first few months he'd been in a coma and then he'd woken up to this. All Jack could do now was stare at the ceiling, listen and feel. (_Paralyzed…surrounded by…corpses)_

Tim crouched down and laid his head on his dad's emaciated shoulder. A wire poked him, and he ignored it. His smile disappeared somewhere along the way. "I don't come as much as I should because I'm living in Blüdhaven, Dad. I live with Nightwing. That guy who…tried to save us. I help him, you know, save people and I'm going to start helping other heroes too. So, no one else has to go through what we did…do," he whispered, clutching a bit too hard at his father's inert hand. "Does that make you proud?"

Tim wondered, not for the first time, if his father would be happy. Jack had always played at being adventurous, going off into all those foreign countries. In truth he never left the city without a guide. And he was far from selfless and probably wouldn't understand the sacrifice that Tim made so other people could be happy.

"Do you think Mom would be proud?"

Tim wasn't sure Janet would have been particularly thrilled about his rounds as a vigilante either. At least she wouldn't have been able to stop him. His father on the other hand…

"I just wanted to be a good son for you."

Had he wanted that? All those nights he'd snuck out of the house to stalk the Bats. All the times he lied in order to go out of state so he could follow Dick, and then Jason, to the Titan's Tower. The friends he'd said he had who didn't actually exist. The money he used towards camera film that he said went into movies.

He…but he'd gone on that trips and others. He'd been to almost all of Europe at some point; he'd been to China, India, and Japan. Then the islands…Yes, he'd gone with his parents because it was the only way to be close to him. He'd always gone home before them though. He'd spend a week in Italy and then be flown home while they continued on and he continued lying and missing them and filling the hole in his life with a group of vigilantes who would never even know he existed.

"I lied to you a lot when I was younger. You deserve the truth now."

His father was crying, it was a slow steady stream of liquid. Jack usually cried when Tim came to visit. It was one of the few ways he could express the emotions he still felt.

The suit was pinching Tim's arms, but he ignored it. "You haven't met the others. Batman, Robin, Batgirl, or Nightwing, but I…I know you're there, you can come out and meet my dad."

Superboy stepped into the doorway, looking sheepish. He was dressed in his Sunday best, yet covered in strange white streaks. Tim figured he had flown straight from Kansas and run into something while in the air. Superboy being shit on by a flock of birds at superspeed. He _wanted_ to smile at that but he couldn't make his mouth obey him fully.

"How did you know I was out there?" Kon wondered and sounded abashed.

Tim turned a little and managed a razor sharp smile. "Bats know when they're being watched. And I didn't hear footsteps, so you must have been floating."

"Color me impressed," Kon beamed. He visibly relaxed and took a few steps into the room. "Your brothers don't exaggerate about how smart you are."

"Come over here, so he can see you," Tim murmured as he turned back to his father. He listened to Kon's footsteps, and then felt his alien heat on his back. "Dad, this is Superboy. He's…we…"

What did someone say to that? This is Superboy: he's the clone of an alien and an evil super genius. We jerk each other off now and then, but we'll probably start having anal sex soon. We work together at the Titans. Oh, yeah, did I mention how Batman hates him more than he disapproves of me? That's really saying something, but I'm taking him to Easter dinner anyway.

"I guess you could say we're dating, Dad."

The look of surprise in Jack's eyes was so clear. Kon really, seriously, honest to God, gasped because it was a vivid, absolutely stunned, look.

"Not what you were expecting, I know. I still love you, Dad, but…it's different now. Superboy is…part of that."

Kon noticed that Tim was shaking and he laid his large hand on the little bird's trembling shoulder.

"I have school tomorrow, Dad. So, I have to get going. I…I'm going to try and visit you more often," Tim stood and backed up a step. Kon felt like he should say something, but he settled for a mumbled goodbye.

Once they were out in the hallway, Tim shut his eyes tightly and leaned against the broad expanse of the clone's chest.

"You okay?" Kon wondered, stroking his back.

"I have nightmares. How it must…no feeling anywhere. Just…but still—still _alive_. Listening to the machinery all day and that…that blank empty ceiling while the rest of the world goes on..." Tim looked up at him, clear and blue. "I don't think he'd be happy with who I am."

"Yeah?" Kon inclined his head. "Well you did just say life was different. You have a different family…who are totally waiting for you. Dick actually called the Kent's to make sure you weren't ditching them for me."

Tim blinked twice in rapid succession. "He did?"

"Yeah, scouts honor."

"You came to find me?"

"Mmhmm."

"How did you?"

Kon blushed. "I had to sift through a bunch of voices…but I heard you. I swear I didn't mean to eavesdrop, man, I just wanted to be sure you were—"

Tim pushed up on his toes and kissed him soundly. It wasn't a good place for their display of affection, but the normal rules of etiquette _shouldn't_ apply to two teenage superheroes.

"Do you know where the Manor is?" Tim asked.

"Yeah," Kon answered, intelligently.

"I need to get there, want to join us for dinner?"

"Batman won't shoot me?"

"Jason might punch you."

Superboy picked him up right there in the hallway and flew them out the nearest window. Tim said something berating, something about being more cautious and subtle. Kon hugged him closer and flew until he could spot the neighborhood the Manor was in. It was pretty damn hard to miss.

They landed on Bruce Wayne's front porch as the great oaken doors were flung open.

"Ah, Jesus-fucking-Christ, Tim!" Jason cried out as Kon set the littlest Bat on his feet.

"Jason! Language!" Someone, it could have been Bruce or Dick, and was definitely accompanied by Alfred, snapped.

"I invited Kon to eat with us," Tim smiled blandly. Kon was terrified to see everyone but Batgirl's face darken. Shit. He could see farther inside and even the redhead in the wheelchair was scowling up a storm.

"Tim," Cass called out her charge. "Eggs! Find them!"

**_Monday _**

Tim had candy for breakfast.

"Tim," Dick murmured, watching him with a strange look on his face. "Just because Cass got the candy for you does not mean you have to eat all of it right now."

The boy bestowed his big brother with the incredulous ascension of one eyebrow and then held out a handful of his loot.

Dick accepted the offering and popped a piece of chocolate in his mouth. "Fine. I take that back."

Tim dropped a bit of dark chocolate into his coffee and began the process of waiting for it to melt. Dick, meanwhile, was giving him one of those calculating 'Nightwing' looks.

"You know, bringing Kon yesterday was not the best idea. Bruce really doesn't like him."

"I know."

"That isn't why you did it. Is it?"

"Partially. Also, it was fun to watch Jason turn that interesting shade of purple."

"You're really messing up their friendship," Dick pointed out.

"They've already made up," Tim shrugged.

"You think?"

"I just said it. Jason is loyal and Kon isn't vindictive. He doesn't have any quarrels besides Luthor. He's only a couple of years old, remember?"

"Cradle robber."

"Shut up, Dick."

_**Tuesday**_

Bruce called during the wee hours before dawn while Tim was doing the 'not-sleeping' thing he did. He heard the phone's shrill cry and suspected it was Bruce. It was the only reason he'd picked it up.

"Tim."

"I'm ready to talk.

"Your father isn't likely to ever come out of this."

"I know."

"I'm willing to continue paying for his care."

"Even though you disapprove of me, highly?"

"Even."

"His case isn't completely lost yet."

"As long as you are uncertain, I will keep him alive."

"I have nightmares about you."

"I understand."

"You hold my father's life in your hands."

"And you're too unstable to operate as a hero."

"I'll prove you wrong."

"I look forward to it."

"Let's talk again soon."

"Let's."

_**Wednesday**_

He forced himself to sleep and the dreams descended upon him without delay. He was back in Haiti, tied to the pole beside his parents. The rope was cutting into his arms and his mother was screaming and shaking like a leaf while his father barked at her to stay calm. Tim wanted to take her hand and tell her…everything. Yes: _everything_ summed it up nicely.

He looked up at the full moon with frightened tears blurring his vision, God, it was huge, and a dark blot suddenly appeared. Nightwing landed in front of them. He was still in the old uniform. The one Tim had affectionately dubbed, in his mind, the 'flaming faggot' costume. He'd never told that to Dick and in his dream, he made a mental note to mention it over breakfast.

Dick untied them, and then turned, attacking the zealots with an amazing amount of grace, even if his suit was ridiculous. His mother reached over and drank the water the Obeah Man had been taunting them with, not even five minutes earlier. Tim wondered if he should be grateful that his parents had been so selfish. Gulping at the water like fish while their son watched Nightwing brutalizing a group of cultists.

One villain fell and burst into flames. One parent dropped to the ground, never to breath again. Tim heard his father's cry of pain and jerked around. He saw the stiffness of their bodies, the wideness of their eyes.

He woke up with a cry.

Dick was already sitting on the end of his bed.

"Hey, kiddo," he soothed and drew his little brother into his arms.

"What time is it?"

"Quarter after two, bad dream?"

"Mmm," Tim thought the noncommittal sound was appropriate.

"Want to tell me about it?"

A grin tried to split Tim's entire face open, but he contained it. "I was having a nightmare about your old Nightwing suit."

"What?" Dick sat back, startled. "Are you…"

"The one with the collar and bright colors," Tim elaborated.

"Jesus Christ, Tim! I was actually worried about you and—"

"Goodnight, Dick."

**_Thursday_**

During breakfast they received a call from Wally. He blathered out a hopeful, modest invitation for Dick and Tim to come have dinner with him and his family. The Batboys had no choice. The last time they'd tried to worm their way out of a dinner with Wally, the Scarlet Speedster had hunted them both down with great vigor.

So, Dick said, "Yes, of course."

And all Tim could do was take it. He pondered whether Wally would even be able to wait the entire day before showing up in a _zwip_ of warm colors.

Dick seemed to be thinking the same thing as he went out the door to get in the car with a few other employees of the Blüdhaven PD.

Tim headed out to the bus stop minutes later.

The spring air was fragrant and wet. The hair on the back of his neck stood up, warning him of an approaching storm.

When he got to the bench, he found Kyle fussing with his dark, glossy hair and complaining about the humidity. Johnny leered and then began to serenade them, clutching at the Aquaman symbol fluttering over his heart.

"_We'll take the whole shebang! All or nothing, anything! Ecstasy's the birthright of our gang! We'll take the whole shebang! Free your heart of guilt and shame! Come and claim what's yours the whole shebang!_"

Kyle paused to smile fondly as he offered one of his frail hands. Johnny took it, kissed it, and then continued to dance and sing.

"You two give me diabetes," Tim commented. He hoped to God he and Kon never looked like that. Kyle smirked in reply and patted Timmy's shoulder with a disturbing amount of sympathy.

Tim got through another nondescript day of school without seeing either hide or hair of Wally. He wasn't sure whether he was grateful for that or not. He even made it all the way home and got a shower before he heard the telltale ring of the doorbell. He really didn't answer the door slowly on purpose.

"Took your sweet time!" Wally grinned. His eyes darted around anxiously. "You ready?"

"Yes, just let me…grab my…coat…" Tim sighed as he realized he was standing in the West's living room. "Hello, Linda." He waved listlessly.

She rolled her eyes at Wally, and then rubbed her swollen stomach. "Hello, Tim. You haven't graced us with your presence in quite some time."

"It's been a busy year," Tim commented.

"I've heard."

"Have you?"

"Yes, I'm so pregnant as to be incapacitated. Nothing to do but catch up on Hero gossip."

Wally at least had the decency to blush.

"Twins?" Tim wondered, sitting down beside her.

"Oh, yes," she smiled. "I don't know how I'll manage. Twins on top of the two children I already watch out for!"

"Linda, are you talking about me?" Bart wondered, pouting as he came into the room from the adjoining kitchen.

"You and Wally both." Linda turned her attention back to Tim and noticed the way he shifted uncomfortably. He'd come to dinner with Dick before, but Bart had never been there too. She grinned. Birdboys. "You work with Bart now, you know what I deal with."

"Yes," Tim agreed, nearly retuning the smile.

"Wally," Linda said, her tone was dangerous and warning. He jerked to a quaking halt mid-pace. "Dick is not off work yet, you will have to wait. Bart, please check on the oven for me?"

Mr. West looked abashed, Bart amused, and Tim felt the strange familial normalcy of the whole thing smack him in the face. Bart went into the kitchen in a blur, and Wally plunked down into a chair.

Tim knew all of Dick's friends. During his first few weeks living with Nightwing, most of them had come to meet him. Tim had a theory that his presence, plus those long, long months of constant visitors was what had broken Dick and Kory up, _that_ time.

Point to case, he was acquainted with all of Dick's friends. However, despite that, Tim chose not to communicate with any of them. Some of them called on holidays, others wrote letters. A few particularly crafty ones discovered when his birthday was. Tim really didn't know how to tell Blackhawk that, firstly, the presents were unnecessary, and, secondly, he was no longer ten year sold.

The Flash and Arrow families had been a notable exception to the rule, since they were closest to Dick. They often had dinner here or there and Tim would try to behave himself and be civil and not an antisocial little freak who was devoted to Dick in all the ways the Bruce disapproved of. It was a tentative friendship by extension.

Or, was, until the Titans began to take up Tim's time. And Bruce began trying—without really trying—to speak with him. Until he had to accept the fact that he was two years through high school and he would have to make some big choices soon. (_His father's money. How much longer? Paralyzed…_) Or was, until he realized how much he just wanted to be able to go to Wayne Manor for Christmas and pretend that he was normal again. Until he realized how delusional that was. And he began to lose Tim Drake in Brambling's shadow, completely.

He looked at Linda. He'd known she was pregnant, but he hadn't been to see her until now. She was due in the next few weeks, yet this was the first time he'd come to visit her. He was aware of several times Dick had been, but he'd never given her the same courtesy. His face softened, and he made a point of just talking to her until it was time for Wally to snatch Dick up from work.

Once his big brother was there, Tim felt a little more relaxed about Bart's presence. He pondered the complexities of the Robin/Kid Flash relationship for several minutes before he realized it didn't matter. Tim Drake and Bart Allen were simply having dinner with their families, who just happened to be in the superhero biz.

"Vic says Green Arrow is sending Speedy this weekend," Bart said in between bites and gulps.

"I've met Speedy," Tim nodded. Roy had brought Mia to the apartment once, and only once, due to the fact Tim freaked her out.

"What's he like?"

"She."

"Speedy is a girl?"

"Yes."

"Dude!"

Tim really didn't point out that Mia was not, in fact, a dude.

_**Friday**_

"Big storm on the West Coast," Dick murmured. He was lazing with happy content upon the couch. He'd gotten the day off of policing by switching shifts with a friend. Meanwhile, Tim was moving around the apartment in his morning routine, getting ready for school.

"How big?" he inquired, pulling on a jacket.

"Like cataclysmic big. It's been building all week."

"Of course, I'll still being going to the Tower this evening."

"Do you have to?"

"Yes. Dick." Tim stopped getting ready in order to meet Dick's eyes. There was an issue to address. Air yet cleared. "You wanted me to go there and friends with them. I'm sorry if this wasn't what you intended. Scratch that, I know it isn't. I know it hurts…but I already have a father and Kon is…Kon and whatever that is, I need it." He sucked in a deep breath, taking note of what he'd just said. Then he built up his walls and made a hasty retreat to the door.

"Tim!" Dick followed him. How could he not? The boy was halfway out into the hallway before he was caught. "I don't understand your feelings. I've never had a shortage of people I've felt close to. Just. We. Jason and…all of us. We've worked so hard to try…To make you understand that we give a fuck. We don't want you to just. Replace us. With Kon."

There was an awkward, quiet moment that accompanied his confession. Then Dick hugged him tightly and there was no escape.

"Dick…stop exaggerating. I wouldn't—I couldn't—do that."

"Go to school, kid."

"Kon is coming to pick me up tonight."

"I'll say 'Hi' to him."

They parted on that note. The day drifted by and Tim had to consider the fact that Dick could acquire a fair amount of Kryptonite from Bruce during the day. He could have the entire apartment building filled by mid-afternoon. Tim also had to calculate the option that Nightwing would do exactly as he'd said: smile and say hello. Tim wasn't sure which outcome made him queasier.

By the time he got on the bus to head home, he'd pushed all his worries away. He was the logical type. It was unseemly for Brambling, of all people, to worry about bringing his boyfriend home.

He took that back after further though. Brambling only had one mission: to be the perfect partner for Nightwing. Tim on the other hand…He turned the key in the lock and the door opened to him. Kon was sitting on the couch with Dick.

"Oh God," Tim muttered.

"Don't be such a drama queen!" Dick called playfully.

"Better than some other 'queens' I know," Tim replied.

Kon turned to stare at him. He looked startled and bemused. Mostly bemused. "I came early."

Tim raised an eyebrow. "I can see that. Skippingboy made his usual rounds today?"

"Yeeeup."

"I won't get you out of detention."

"You won't?"

"No."

"Who else is going to give you a ride cross-country?"

"Dick?"

"No problem, little brother."

_**Saturday**_

"Sorry we had to put you off a week, Speedy. We all have families to spend Easter with," Vic smiled ruefully.

Mia nodded, glancing around with vast uncertainty. The only team members she really knew were Robin and Brambling. And Brambling weirded her the fuck out.

"It's not a problem, Mr. Stone. I, uh, I'm just glad to be here, hmm, at all."

"Call me Vic," Cyborg instructed. "So, Titans, someone show her around. I'll call you all back together for training later."

The teenagers descended on her like a screaming horde.

"Heyyou'reagirl!"

"We could really use a few more girls."

"Just what are you saying, Cassie?"

"Shut up, Jason."

Unexpectedly, she had a green rabbit on her shoulder. "Hey, pretty bird."

"You realize Green Arrow calls Canary that?"

"You realize there are two other birds in the room?"

"Aww, Kon, c'mon, I am not hitting on your bird!"

"Gar, watch it."

Mia felt a strong hand pulling her from the center of attention. Another hand pushed Gar from her shoulder.

"I will show her around," Raven offered. Mia thanked the stars.

"Uh," she offered. "I'll come back, I promise, just let me get settled in."

Then she was off with the other girl.

"You're in doubt," the empathic said. Mia flushed under her mask.

"Well, yeah, I'm kind of a rookie. I haven't worked with a team, really. I'm waiting for the--moment where I make myself look like a total jerk."

Raven smiled. Mia couldn't decide whether it was disturbing or beautiful.

"Timothy was much the same. Doubtful, about the team setting, I mean."

"Tim…Brambling?" Mia tried to imagine Tim uncertain about anything. He'd barely seemed human when she met him. "I…no. Tim has it pulled together."

They stopped before a door. It opened and Mia gaped at the wonderful view of the bay.

Raven let her enjoy it in private for a few moments, but she reappeared when Vic sent out the call for training.

Mia was numb with dread and anticipation as she began her first exercise with the team—a team, any team! She ended up with Brambling, Wondergirl, and Kid Flash on her side. She couldn't mess up. Bart seemed forgiving, but Cassie felt like competition and Tim felt like all the bad things Ollie had ever said about Batman.

"Relax," Tim whispered from her side. She jumped in shock and stared at him, he'd snuck up on her. Sneaky little fucker! "Kon won't realize you're here." His lips pulled into a quick smile. "Just snipe him, no trouble." Mia intended to reply, but he was gone from the tree before she had the chance. She turned her attention back to watching for the members of the opposing team.

She sought Brambling out afterwards. She wanted to say something. His words had calmed her down and she thought maybe it was time they started over. She made her way slowly through the unfamiliar territory of the Tower, checking the pool, and rec. room. When she peaked into the kitchen, the eyeful she received almost made her head implode. No one had deemed it necessary to warn her that Superboy and Brambling would be breaking the PDA rule?

Whoa, back up, since when did Brambling touch anybody at all? Let alone kiss them—him—in a very not-so-private kitchen. She began to backpedal, but ran into Robin.

"Hey! We eat in here!" Jason growled. He stormed into the room and punched Superboy's arm. Kon just smiled.

"Sorry, Jay," he murmured, crossing his fingers. He put his arms around Tim's waist and pulled him backwards, out of the room.

"Uhm, well," Mia began, musing to the open air. This was the strangest day in history. "They…are…not very secretive about that."

"Nope, that drama's over though," Jason rejoined as he went to the fridge. He took out a soda and tossed a second can into Mia's waiting hands.

"Drama?"

"Yeuup. Now we all have to put up with their crap. I'm seriously just waiting for them to have a fight. It's going to be brutal. I think I'll sell tickets."

"Right. Well, I actually had something to say to Tim so…" she started after them, but Robin had the decency to stop her.

"You might wanna give them a minute."

* * *

End

* * *

**Disclaimers:** The lyrics from the songs: 

_Urgent_ by Foreigner (1st chapter)

_Get a Haircut_ by George Thorogood (3rd chapter)

_The Whole Shebang_ by Grant Lee Buffalo (4th chapter)

Do not belong to me. They are the property of their respective writers/artists.

Birds and Boys may break my bones but DC always owns them.


End file.
